One year ago, I didn’t think I’d be participating in a mental health day of #SWRepMatters as anything other than an ally. However, last August hit with the realization that I’ve been living with unaddressed childhood trauma. In the course of unpacking it, I’ve been struck by how formative Star Wars has been to my survival, recognition, and recovery.

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Review and analysis of Contact Harvest by Joseph Staten

Through a misunderstanding of their scriptures, the Covenant discover humanity and view them with ill intent. A barely-trained militia and two marines are the only things that stand between the civilians of the colony Harvest and the imminent alien invasion.

I’m not sure there’s been a Star Wars story to date that I’ve been anticipating as much (or for as long) as the Siege of Mandalore. I’ve certainly had my share of hype over the movies, and while “Twin Suns” has since been, well, “Twin Suns,” the anticipation leading up to that episode was miniscule compared to the aftermath. One major assumption I’ve carried over these years is that the story of the Siege would focus on Rex and Ahsoka. In contrast, Maul probably wouldn’t have much character development, being there to primarily be the threatening antagonist like he was in The Phantom Menace.

Even though Maul has since become my favorite character, I was okay with that. I already got my “Twin Suns,” and, after all, Maul lives in a cycle. Gaining power, losing power, and clawing his way back up the food chain. It’s a cycle that he’s still on in Rebels. It’s a cycle that he dies in. So I assumed that Mandalore would simply be another rotation, Maul spinning the wheels on his own character development.

Then Star Wars Celebration Chicago 2019 happened, and I was physically in the same room when this bombshell went off.

“Honestly, [The Siege of Mandalore is] my favorite stuff that we’ve ever done as the character… [Maul] hasn’t been able to think or see his way out of this horrible, evil cycle that he’s found himself in. And what I found most interesting about this arc, is for a second, he actually tries to think his way out of it. He actually tries something different that he’s never tried before or since. And we see how that goes.” – Sam Witwer

Here we have another outright mention of Thel in Ghosts of Onyx, a comparison to Xytan ‘Jar Wattinree and an example of the treachery of the Prophets. We also get a subtle glimpse of just how much Thel impacted humanity as a whole.

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Following the betrayal of the Prophets, the Sangheili found themselves without leadership. Small portions of the former Covenant began following Shipmasters and commanders likes Rtas ‘Vadum and Voro ‘Mantakree, but with the simultaneous outbreak of the Flood, the threat of the Halo rings, and the sudden alliance with the humans, these factions were far from unity. In the days and then months following the Schism, two leaders arose that sought to rebuild what the Sangheili had lost and gather the scattered factions together.

While neither Xytan ‘Jar Wattinree nor Thel ‘Vadam are ultimately successful in uniting the Sangheili, their speeches found in Ghosts of Onyx and Glasslandsshare interesting parallels.